Charged aerosol wind/electric power generator with solar and/or gravitational regeneration

ABSTRACT

On a Charged Aerosol Wind/Electric Power Generator, electrically charged water droplets are dispersed into the wind stream. Using Induction Electric Charging, a water jet issues under water pressure from a small diameter (25-50 μm) orifice, and the jet breaks into charged droplets. A plate orifice 35 μm diameter, and 25 μm long appears optimum; a single jet from such an orifice at a water pressure of 15 psig produces net electric power output substantially exceeding the hydraulic and electric power inputs. A practical Wind/Electric Generator utilizes a multi-orifice array scaled to a kilowatt or megawatt level. A water recovery and pressure regeneration solar and/or gravitational means is described by which water is conserved and the water power is free, so that there is a net output electric power without external power input of any kind, except natural wind and/or solar power.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

On a Charged Aerosol Wind/Electric Power Generator, electrically chargedwater droplets are dispersed into the wind stream. Using InductionElectric Charging, a water jet issues under water pressure from a smalldiameter (25-50 μm) orifice, and the jet breaks into charged droplets. Aplate orifice 35 μm diameter, and 25 μm long appears optimum, a singlejet from such an orifice at a water pressure of 15 psig produces netelectric power output substantially exceeding the hydarulic and electricpower inputs. A practical Wind/Electric Generator utilizes amulti-orifice array scaled to a kilowatt or megawatt level. A waterrecovery and pressure regeneration solar and/or gravitational means isdescribed by which water is conserved and the water power is free, sothat there is a net output electric power without external power inputof any kind, except natural wind and/or solar power.

This invention is an improvement over U.S. Pat. No. 4,206,396, issuedJune 3, 1980, entitled "Charged Aerosol Generator with Uni-ElectrodeSource". The Government has rights in this invention pursuant toContract No. DEAC02-78 ER04985 awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy.The state of the art is given in a previous report¹. In this report,Method 4.1 was employed to produce the charged aerosol². In this method,water under pressure is forced through a micro-orifice to form a chargedaerosol in the presence of an electric field and dispersed in the wind.In most cases, the water power utilized is a small proportion of theelectric power output.

The present invention relates to a method of obtaining the waterpressure utilizing solar power. A further advantage of this invention isthat the water supply is heated even in the winter so that ice will notform as long as the system is in operation.

Further, utilizing a modification of this system, Method 3 may beemployed to form a charged aerosol by condensation, again utilizingmicro-orifices to limit the steam flow. An advantage of the CondensationMethod is that a smaller amount of water is employed because the chargeddroplets produced are very much smaller in diameter² for the sameelectric charges.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a Charged Aerosol Wind/Electric PowerGenerator also known as a "power fence" using an induction chargingsource employing water under pressure from a reservoir elevated abovethe generator and a solar panel for heating the water supplied to thecharging source.

FIG. 2 shows a diagram of a Charged Aerosol Wind/Electric PowerGenerator using an induction charging source employing water underpressure from a reservoir elevated above the generator, using a solarsteam boiler and a condenser to provide water to the reservoir and tothe generator.

FIG. 3 shows a diagram of a Charged Aerosol Wind/Electric PowerGenerator using a steam condensation source to directly produce thecharged aerosol, the steam source being a solar boiler-superheater.

FIG. 4 shows a diagram of a Charged Aerosol Wind/Electric PowerGenerator using an induction charging source employing water underpressure from a reservoir elevated above the generator andmirror-heliostats focusing sunlight on a boiler-superheater to supplysteam to an air-cooled condenser and a reservoir to hold condensed waterat an elevation above the generator.

FIG. 5 shows a diagram of a Charged Aerosol Wind/Electric PowerGenerator using an induction charging source supplied by water underpressure from a reservoir elevated above the generator, in which chargedwater droplets entrained in the wind are dirven upward against thegravitational field, consolidated to form liquid water, which flows intothe reservoir.

FIG. 6 shows a diagram of a Charged Aerosol Wind/Electric PowerGenerator using an induction charging source supplied by water underpressure from a reservoir elevated above the generator, showing anatural cycle in which the water used is circulated by the sun and thewind.

FIG. 7 shows a diagram of a side view of a Charged Aerosol Wind/ElectricPower Generator having collection electrodes to discharge andconsolidate the charged aerosol into a liquid.

FIG. 8 shows a diagram of a side view of another Charged AerosolWind/Electric Power Generator having collection electrodes to dischargeand consolidate the charged aerosol into a liquid in a trough.

Referring to FIG. 1 there is shown a diagram of an embodiment of thisinvention. In this embodiment the sun heats the water to a temperaturesufficient to avoid the freezing of the water in cold weather whichwould make the device inoperable. Water flows from an elevated reservoir1, for example a natural elevated body of water such as a lake, via apipe 2 to a solar collector panel 3. The solar collector 3 may be flatand at ground level near the power fence. In the solar panel 3 the sun'srays 4 heat the water to a suitable temperature. The heated water flowsfrom the solar panel 3 to a thermally insulated storage chamber 5 andthence via pipe 6 to the micro-orifices 7, under a net pressure head h.The pipe 6 is thermally insulated to minimize heat loss. To avoiddischarging the power fence to ground, the pipe 6 is also electricallyinsulated. The wind 11 entrains and drives the charged aerosol droplets12. The charged aerosol droplets 12 eventually discharge to ground at 13and complete the circit through the load 14 back to the power fence 10;whereby the wind power is transduced to electric power supplied to theload 14.

FIG. 2 shows a diagram of a second embodiment of this invention in whichthe power fence functions without the application of external power,except sun heat power. A boiler feed water pump 15 supplies water 16 tothe boiler 17 from a ground level water source 18. Sunlight 4 is focusedby a curved cylindrical reflector 19 onto boiler 17 and superheater 22which are located at the linear focus of the reflector. Water 16 in theboiler 17 is converted to steam 20. The steam 20 from the boiler 17flows through superheater 22 in which superheated steam 21 is formedwhich flows via insulated pipe 23 to condense at an upper level in theair-cooled condenser 24; thus converting the sun heat power togravitational potential power. The condensed water 25 flows into thereservoir 1 which provides water at a pressure head h to themicroorifices 7. Electric power is saved which otherwise would have tobe withdrawn from the power fence 10 to supply water pumped underpressure to the orifices.

FIG. 3 shows a diagram of a third embodiment of this invention utilizingthe Condensation Method 3. Superheated steam 21 is produced near groundlevel. The superheated steam 21 flows through an insulating pipe 23 tothe emitter 26 from which there issues a supercooled steam jet 28. Apotential source 9 connected between emitter 26 and point exciterelectrodes 27 injects ions into the supercooled steam jets 28, thusforming the charged aerosol 12 of singly charged droplets about 200 Ådiameter².

For the same charged aerosol electrical current and power output perunit area of the power fence, water flow rate is smaller compared to theInduction Charging Method previously discussed.

FIG. 4 shows a diagram of a fourth embodiment of this invention whichuses an Electrothermodynamic (ETD) Heat/Electric Power Generator betweenthe steam source and the power fence. Sunlight 4 is focused by an arrayof mirror heliostats 30 onto a boiler 17--superheater 22. Water source18 supplies water via boiler feed pump 15 to the boiler 17 whichsupplies steam 20 to the superheater 22, which supplies superheatedsteam 21 at high pressure and temperature via insulated pipe 23 to anETD generator 31, previously described³. Low pressure steam 32 exhaustedfrom the ETD generator 31 is transmitted via insulated pipe 23' to theelevated air condenser 24 where it is condensed to water 25 which flowsinto a reservoir 1, and thence to microorifices 7 in the power fence 10under a pressure head n. To provide water 16 to the boiler 17, a smallportion of water from reservoir 1 may be used to drive a water turbine33 and pump 15 via coupling 34. The charged droplets may be produced bythe Induction Charging Method, or alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3,superheated steam is delivered to emitters 26, producing charged aerosoldroplets by condensation, using charging method 3. The wind drives thecharged droplets and electric power is transduced from the wind power.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 4 shows a heat/electric power conversionsystem using solar power only (no wind/electric power generator). Theboiler 17--superheater 22 operates the electrothermodynamic ETDgenerator 31, using Methods II, III, or IV, as described in copendingapplication Ser. No. 237,290, filed Feb. 23, 1981.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2-4, salt water may be used in theboiler 17. In this case, since the steam from the salt water is free ofsalt after evaporation in the boiler, the residual boiler water continsan increased concentration of salt which eventually flows back into thesea. In this manner, salt water may be used for land-based power fencesnear the sea without causing sea salt to be spread over the surroundingterritory by the charged aerosol in the wind.

In the embodiment of this invention shown in FIG. 5, the wind suppliesthe power to lift the charged water deoplets against the gravitationalfield, and the wind power is converted to available hydraulic power,water is recuperated, and water pressure is regenerated. The wind 11 isredirected to a vertical wind stream 35 by the deflector wall 36. Theemitter screen 37 is supported horizontally and the charged aerosoldroplets 38 are directed vertically upward. The deflector wall 36shields the upwardly directed wind stream 35. The charged water droplets38 are carried vertically upward by the wind stream where they arecollected by the grounded collector electrode 39 and drip into thegutters 40, where the water collects and returns via the pipe 41 tosupply water to reservoir 1 from which water flows under pressure head hto the micro-orifices 7. The vertical wind stream 35 supplies the powerto lift the charged water droplets against the gravitational field, thusconverting the wind power to hydraulic power. Simultaneously, the windpower also moves he charged water droplets against the electric fieldand is converted to output electric power at the load 14. Watercollected in the gutters 40 returns to the reservoir 1 and passes viapipe 2 to the micro-orifices 7. In this case, the hydraulic power inputis free.

FIG. 6 shows a natural water recuperation and pressure regenerationscheme for a large area Wind/Electric Power Fence 10. The Power Fence 10is suspended from a cable 43, supported by towers 44, feeding highvoltage DC electric power via wires 45. The wind 11 carries the chargedwater droplets 12 to any distance where they discharge on the ground at13. They may serve to irrigate a large area of land, on which crops maybe grown, thus serving a dual purpose. Water evaporates as vapor due tosunlight 4, and rain water 46 eventually precipitates on a higher levelbody of water or reservoir 1, such as a lake. Water is withdrawn fromthe reservoir 1 via the pipe 2. Hydroelectric turbogenerator 47 may beemployed to convert excess water power to output electric power 48. Theremaining water pressure is delivered via pipe 49 to the Wind/ElectricPower Fence 10.

In FIG. 7, a multi-orifice emitter 7 and a tubular exciter element 50are the source of charged aerosol droplets 12. A grounded collectorelectrode 39 discharges and consolidates the charged aerosol droplets 12to liquid water which drips into gutter 40, collecting most of thecharged aerosol water droplets 12 from the wind stream, thusrecuperating the available water. The charged aerosol droplets 12 areattracted to the grounded collector plates 39 where they drop off into agutter 40 and are pumped by pump 53 back to the micro-orifices 7 at asuitable pressure of about 20 psig. The loss of head due to a height ofthe collector electrode may be only 1 psig. Advantages of recuperationof the charged aerosol as water at the collector electrode are: (1) thewater is pumped through a maximum of only 1 m height against gravity,which requires about only 1.2 psig (10⁴ n/m²) plus the water pressureP_(r) ≈15 psig, (2) water usage is minimized because of recuperation.FIGS. 5 to 8 inclusive show various water recuperation and pressureregeneration schemes.

Using the Induction Charging Method, the wind stream contains acomparatively small volume of water vapor at 20-100% saturation relativeto a greater volume of charged aerosol water; hence, most of the watermay be recovered for circulation and reuse.

FIG. 8 illustrates another water recuperation means comprising pairs ofcollector electrodes 54 and 55 electrically connected to a potentialsource 56, which provides an electric field 57. The electric field 57provides a force on the charged droplets 12, causing them to impinge onthe gutter-electrode 55. The gutter-electrode 55 collects, dischargesand consolidates the charged water droplets 58 consolidating them intothe liquid water in reservoir 1 from whence it is pumped by pump 53 tothe micro-orifice emitter 7 issuing as a water jet 59 into the electricfield 60 provided by potential source 9 between the tubular exciterelectrode 50 and the emitter 7.

In the Induction Charging Method, the droplet diameter is usually about3000 Å and the charge is adjusted to about 10 electron charges perdroplet for an optimum charged aerosol at atmospheric pressure, whichhas a diameter to charge ratio of about 200 to 300 Å per electroncharge⁴.

When the charged aerosol jet breaks into charged droplets in the windthe droplet size is decreased when the surface tension is decreased⁵.The volume and the water flow rate decreases inversely according to thediameter cubed.

Thus, if for 400 w/m² electric power output from the power fence, 10gph/m² is required for a droplet of 0.3 μm=3000 Å diameter, a droplet of0.03 μm=300 Å will have a requirement of only 10/1000=0.01 gph/m² forthe same electron charge per unit volume of water droplet.

Thus, the ratio of current/unit volume of water flow rate per unit areaof the screen is increased 1000 times by a decrease of droplet diameterof only 10 times.

Another method of obtaining smaller droplet size is the condensationmethod 3 using a supercooled steam jet as previously described³.9.

Still another method for obtaining smaller diameter charged waterdroplets employing the Induction Charging Method, is to dissolve from0.01 to 1% of a suitable surfactant in the water. A decrease in thesurface tension of the water: (1) enables better penetration of theliquid through smaller orifices, for example from 35 μm to 10 μm; (2)causes the water droplets to break into smaller droplets in an electricfield; (3) results in a greater charged aerosol current per unit waterflow rate.

Suitable surfactants may be organic or a fluorocarbon well known in theart. The surfactant used is preferably biodegradable.

Suitable organic surfactants are polypropylene benzyl sulphonate, knownas TPBS or ABS. Biodegradable detergents such as straight chain alkylbenzene sulphanates designated as LAS or ethoxylates of primary andsecondary alcohols.⁶ Organic surfactants may, for example, decrease thesurface tension of water from 72 dyne-cm to 35 dyne-cm, a factor of 2times.

REFERENCES:

1. Contract No. XH-9-8128-1, Final Report "Charged Aerosol Wind/ElectricPower Generator", July 1980, prepared for Solar Energy ResearchInstitute, 1536 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401.

2. Contract No. EG-77-C-01-4002, Final Report "Wind Power ChargedAerosol Generator", September 1977, prepared for U.S. Department ofEnergy; page 51, Superheated Steam microjet; pp 39-58.

3. Patents on Electrothermodynamics (ETD) issued to Alvin M. Marks:

3.1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,638,555--5/12/53--Heat-Electrical Power Conversionthrough the Medium of a Charged Aerosol;

3.2 U.S. Pat. No. 3,191,077--6/22/65--Power Conversion Device;

3.3 U.S. Pat. No. 3,297,887--1/10/67--Heat-Electrical Power Transducer;

3.4 U.S. Pat. No. 3,411,025--11/12/68--Method and Apparatus forProducing Charged Aerosols;

3.5 U.S. Pat. No. 3,417,267--12/17/68--Heat-Electrical PowerInterconversion Devices;

3.6 U.S. Pat. No. 3,456,135--7/15/69--Gas Flywheel Power Converter;

3.7 U.S. Pat. No. 3,518,461--6/30/70--Charged Aerosol Power ConversionDevice and Method;

3.8 U.S. Pat. No. 3,792,293--2/12/74--Generator with Charging andCollecting Arrays;

2.9 U.S. Pat. No. 4,206,396--6/3/80--Charged Aerosol Generator withUni-Electrode Source.

4. Marks, Alvin M., "Optimum Charged Aerosols for Power Conversion",reprinted from Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 43, No. 1, January 1972.

5. "Fluorad Fluorochemical Surfactants", p 5 "Product Information", 19803M Center, St. Paul, MN 55144.

6. Encyclopedia of Chemistry, Second Edition, Reinhold PublishingCompany, New York, article pp 314-16, "Detergents, Synthetic,Biodegradability".

Having thus fully described my invention, what I wish to claim is:
 1. Acharged aerosol generator and a load combination, comprising a chargedliquid droplet emitter means, a gas stream, a grounded collectorelectrode at a distance from said emitter means, a load, said load beingconnected between said emitter means and said collector electrode, thesaid emitter means producing charged droplets which have a ratio ofradius to number of electron charges of at least 100 Å per electroncharge, said gas stream flowing around said emitter means and receivingsaid charged droplets whereby the heat/kinetic power of said gas streamis transduced to electric power at said load, and a solar source tosupply power to said emitter means.
 2. A charged aerosol generator and aload combination, comprising a charged liquid droplet emitter means, agas stream, a grounded collector electrode at a distance from saidemitter means, a load, said load being connected between said emittermeans and said collector electrode, the said emitter means producingcharged droplets which have a ratio of radius to number of electroncharges of at least 100 Å per electron charge, said gas stream flowingaround said emitter means and receiving said charged droplets wherebythe heat/kinetic power of said gas stream is transduced to electricpower at said load, and a gravitational potential power source to supplypower to said emitter means.
 3. A charged aerosol wind/electric powergenerator according to claim 1 in which said solar source supplies heatto increase the temperature of the water supplied to said emitter.
 4. Acharged aerosol wind/electric power generator according to claim 1 inwhich said solar source is a solar panel.
 5. A charged aerosolwind/electric power generator according to claim 1 in which said solarsource is a cylindrical reflector and linear tube boiler.
 6. A chargedaerosol wind/electric power generator according to claim 1 in which saidsolar source is a mirror controlled by a heliostat and a heat exchanger.7. A charged aerosol wind/electric power generator according to claim 2in which said gravitational potential power source supplies hydraulicpower to said emitter.
 8. In a charged aerosol wind/electric powergenerator according to claim 1, a boiler-superheater heated by saidsolar source, a condenser and a water reservoir at a level above saidgenerator, steam from said boiler-superheater rising to said condenser,said water condensing and being supplied to said reservoir, said waterthereafter being supplied to said emitter means under pressuregravitationally produced by the difference in height between saidreservoir and said emitter means.
 9. In a charged aerosol wind/electricpower generator according to claim 2, a wall deflector, said wind beingdeflected by said wall deflector to a higher level, said charged aerosoldroplets being entrained by said wind, means for consolidating saidcharged aerosol droplets to liquid water at said higher level, returningsaid charged aerosol to a lower level at a greater pressure, utilizingsaid gravitational potential power source to supply water under pressureto said emitter means, a proportion of said water being recovered forreuse.
 10. In a charged aerosol wind/electric power generator accordingto claim 1, a collector electrode structure comprising a first collectorelectrode and a second collector electrode, a potential source, saidpotential source supplying an electric potential difference between saidfirst and second collector electrodes, whereby said charged aerosol isdeflected to said second electrode and consolidated to liquid water, atrough, said liquid water being collected in said trough from saidsecond electrode.
 11. A charged aerosol wind/electric power generatoraccording to claim 10, said second collector electrode being grounded.12. A charged aerosol wind/electric power generator according to claim10, said collector electrodes being horizontal.
 13. A charged aerosolwind/electric power generator according to claim 10, said secondcollector electrode having a trough to collect said water.
 14. A chargedaerosol wind/electric power generator according to claim 1 in which saidcharged aerosol droplets contain from 0.001 to 1% of a surfactantwhereby the surface tension of said droplets is decreased, the dropletdiameter is decreased and the charge to volume ratio increased, wherebythe water flow rate is decreased relative to the output current per unitarea, and said ratio is approximated.
 15. A charged aerosolwind/electric power generator according to claim 14 in which thesurfactant is an organic surfactant.
 16. A charged aerosol wind/electricpower generator according to claim 14 in which the said surfactant is afluorocarbon surfactant.
 17. A charged aerosol wind/electric powergenerator according to claim 14 in which said surfactant isbiodegradable.